3 observations after Sixers win finale without Embiid, still end up in play-in tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers did their part Sunday afternoon.
However, even with eight consecutive victories, they didnβt get the help required to stay out of the NBAβs play-in tournament.
The Sixers earned a 107-86 win over the Nets at Wells Fargo Center in their regular-season finale. Because the Magic beat the Bucks and the Pacers topped the Hawks, the Sixers still finished seventh in the Eastern Conference at 47-35.
The Sixers will host a play-in tournament game Wednesday vs. the Heat. If they win that, theyβll move on to the playoffs as the Eastβs seventh seed. If they lose to Miami, the Sixers will face the winner of the Bulls-Hawks play-in matchup in a game to determine the No. 8 seed.
The Knicks secured the No. 2 seed Sunday by squeaking past the Bulls in overtime. That means, in the event the Sixers beat the Heat, New York would be their first-round playoff opponent.
Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points vs. the Nets. Tobias Harris recorded 21 points and eight rebounds.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ blowout win over Brooklyn to conclude the regular season:
Not much cooking early besides Maxey Β
The Sixers didnβt start like a team distracted by all the pertinent action happening elsewhere.
They played active defense, sought out transition opportunities, leaned on Maxey, and scored the dayβs first seven points.
Maxey played an especially aggressive first quarter, posting a dozen points on 5-for-9 shooting. However, the Sixers only got 10 points outside of their All-Star guard in the first period. No other Sixer made a three-point shot.
The Sixers also had several transition defense breakdowns, which head coach Nick Nurse identified as a concern going into the game. Noah Clowney drained a corner three with 5.1 seconds left in the first quarter and Brooklyn grabbed its first lead at 23-22.
Big men, bench get the job doneΒ
Mo Bamba started in Embiidβs place. With Allen Iverson sitting courtside two days after his sculpture unveiling at the Sixersβ training complex, Bamba gave a Dikembe Mutombo-esque finger wag following his second block on Clowney.
After Bambaβs opening stint, Paul Reed played 12 minutes in a row at center. His best play…